U.S. and Japan Enhance Military Ties Amid Regional Tensions

In a significant development, Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held their first phone conversation on Friday, where they reached an agreement to enhance military cooperation around Japanese islands situated in the East China Sea. This move comes in light of ongoing territorial tensions involving uninhabited islands claimed by both Japan and China, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan and Diaoyu in China.

Hegseth confirmed during the exchange that the U.S.-Japan defense treaty remains applicable to these islands. While the United States has not taken a definitive stance on the sovereignty issues surrounding these territories, it has consistently maintained that the mutual defense treaty would activate in the event of an attack on them.

In addition to addressing territorial concerns, both ministers emphasized their shared commitment to bolstering the U.S.-Japan alliance. They discussed initiatives aimed at enhancing command-and-control mechanisms and noted last year’s announcement of plans to establish a new joint military force headquarters in Japan, which will function alongside a combined operations command for Japan's Self-Defense Forces. The conversation concluded with a mutual pledge to collaborate towards achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.